Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS SourceTree

Compare VS Code VS SourceTree and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

SourceTree logo SourceTree

Mac and Windows client for Mercurial and Git.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • SourceTree Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-23

VS Code features and specs

  • Cross-platform
    VS Code works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent development experience across different operating systems.
  • Extensibility
    A vast library of extensions allows users to add functionalities like debuggers, linters, and themes, making it highly customizable.
  • Integrated Git
    Built-in Git integration makes it easy to manage version control tasks directly within the editor.
  • Performance
    Lightweight compared to full-fledged IDEs, ensuring good performance even on systems with limited resources.
  • IntelliSense
    Advanced code completion and refactoring tools help improve coding efficiency and reduce errors.
  • Community Support
    A strong and active community provides extensive support, tutorials, and third-party extensions.
  • Debugging
    Robust debugging tools for various languages and frameworks are available out of the box.
  • Free and Open-Source
    VS Code is completely free to use and open-source, which is beneficial for both individual developers and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of VS Code

  • Limited IDE Features
    While extensible, it may lack some advanced features found in dedicated IDEs out of the box.
  • Extension Management
    Managing and configuring a large number of extensions can become cumbersome and sometimes lead to performance issues.
  • Learning Curve
    Although user-friendly, it has a steeper learning curve for beginners due to its numerous features and customization options.
  • Memory Usage
    Despite being lightweight, it can consume a significant amount of memory when multiple extensions are installed.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates may sometimes introduce bugs or require users to adapt to new changes quickly.
  • Internet Dependency
    Some features and extensions may require an internet connection to function optimally.
  • Telemetry
    By default, VS Code collects usage data, which might be a concern for users sensitive about data privacy. However, this can be disabled.

SourceTree features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    SourceTree offers an intuitive GUI for Git and Mercurial version control, making it easier for users who may not be comfortable with command-line operations.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Supports various Git functionalities like branching, merging, stash, rebase, and also offers visualizations of repository history and changes.
  • Integration with Bitbucket and GitHub
    Seamlessly integrates with popular repositories like Bitbucket and GitHub, providing enhanced features for working within these platforms.
  • Free to Use
    SourceTree is available for free, making it accessible for individual developers and small teams without any financial investment.
  • Cross-Platform
    Available for both Windows and macOS, providing versatility for users across different operating systems.

Possible disadvantages of SourceTree

  • Performance Issues
    Some users report slow performance, especially with large repositories or when performing complex Git operations.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic operations are straightforward, mastering the more advanced functionalities can be challenging for new users.
  • Occasional Bugs and Stability Issues
    Users have occasionally encountered bugs or crashes, affecting the stability of the application.
  • Lacks Some Advanced Git Features
    Although it covers a broad range of functionalities, some advanced Git features may still require command-line operations.
  • Limited Support and Documentation
    Compared to some other tools, users might find the support and documentation less comprehensive, potentially making problem-solving harder.

VS Code videos

My New Favorite Text Editor - Visual Studio Code

More videos:

  • Review - 7 reasons why I switched to Visual Studio Code from Sublime Text

SourceTree videos

SourceTree and Mercurial Version Control

More videos:

  • Review - Getting step up with git, GitBucket and SourceTree - Joomla Beat

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and SourceTree)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Git
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Code Collaboration
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using VS Code and SourceTree. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare VS Code and SourceTree

VS Code Reviews

  1. dksinden
    · Working at SpeechKit ·

Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs
Visual Studio Code, commonly known as VS Code, is a powerful and extensible code editor developed by Microsoft. With its rich ecosystem of extensions and features like IntelliSense, debugging, and Git integration, VS Code enhances your coding productivity.
Source: convesio.com
13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow
Finally, the Visual Studio Code website has numerous tabs for you to learn about the software. The documentation page walks you through steps like the setup and working with different languages. You’re also able to check out some tips and tricks and learn all of the Visual Studio Code keyboard shortcuts. Along with a blog, updates page, extensions library and API...
Source: kinsta.com
Jupyter Notebook & 10 Alternatives: Data Notebook Review [2023]
Previously, VS Code was more suited to developers or engineers due to its lack of data analysis capabilities, but since 2020, the VS Code team has collaborated with the Jupyter team to create an integrated notebook within VS Code. The end result is a fantastic IDE workbook for data analysis.
Source: lakefs.io
The Best IDEs for Java Development: A Comparative Analysis
Overview: Although not a traditional IDE, VS Code has gained popularity as a lightweight code editor.
Source: dev.to
20 Best Diff Tools to Compare File Contents on Linux
Visual studio code is a code editor made by Microsoft. It supports several development operations like debugging, task running, and version control. It works on Linux, macOS and Windows operating systems.
Source: linuxopsys.com

SourceTree Reviews

Best Git GUI Clients of 2022: All Platforms Included
Sourcetree is a free Git GUI client and can work on both Windows or Mac. This tool is simple to use yet powerful, making it perfect for both beginners and advanced users. The clean and elegant interface makes it effortless and enjoyable to navigate through.
Boost Development Productivity With These 14 Git Clients for Windows and Mac
Sourcetree is a git GUI tool from the house of Atlassian, the IT tech company that also developed Bitbucket and Jira. Compared to other similar tools, Sourcetree offers a more powerful graphical user interface (GUI.)
Source: geekflare.com
Best Git GUI Clients for Windows
You can easily perform all the necessary Git-related tasks, such as cloning repositories (including the remote ones), pushing, pulling, committing, and merging changes. Both experienced users and beginners can work successfully with Sourcetree, tracking all changes, actions, and actors.
Source: blog.devart.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than SourceTree. While we know about 1138 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 2 mentions of SourceTree. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

VS Code mentions (1138)

  • Why Understanding, Not Just Generating Code, Still Matters
    To do this, I used VS Code, an extension called Cline configured in Act mode, and Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 03-25, which is amazing. I made two attempts. The first one using a simple and very generic prompt, and a second one using a more detailed prompt. Let’s talk about them. - Source: dev.to / 2 days ago
  • 🚀 Your First Setup Win: Python and VS Code on Mac (Beginner Friendly)
    I visited code.visualstudio.com and clicked the big, inviting "Download for Mac" button. After downloading, I opened the .zip file, dragged the VS Code app into my Applications folder, and launched it. - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Vibe coding a GO CLI to extract data from articles
    For this challenge we will use Visual Studio Code and Anthropic Claude (Claude 3.7 Sonnet). Also, Go lang must be installed. I am running Fedora Linux. - Source: dev.to / 8 days ago
  • How to Run and Debug Tests in VS Code (With Keploy Integration)
    VS Code installed on your machine (available from here). - Source: dev.to / 26 days ago
  • Get Started with DeepSeek API for FREE: Guide with Multiple Tools!🔥
    Get your hands on VS Code by downloading it from the official website - your new coding command center. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
View more

SourceTree mentions (2)

  • Git as a Beginner
    I think a gui will be helpful, eg bitbucket sourcetree https://sourcetreeapp.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • WHAT IS SOURCETREE? HOW TO INSTALL IT?
    Now Let's Download Sourcetree: Go to https://sourcetreeapp.com/ then download the installer. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and SourceTree, you can also consider the following products

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

GitKraken - The intuitive, fast, and beautiful cross-platform Git client.

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

GitHub Desktop - GitHub Desktop is a seamless way to contribute to projects on GitHub and GitHub Enterprise.

Notepad++ - A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

SmartGit - SmartGit is a front-end for the distributed version control system Git and runs on Windows, Mac OS...